R.C. Lawrence of the firm of McIntyre, Lawrence & Proctor of Lumberton, conducted the case for W.B. Cooper in the trial in Federal court in Wilmington last week of W.B. and Tom Cooper on the charge of violating national banking laws in connection with the failure of the Commercial National Bank of Wilmington. In reporting argument of counsel in the case, The Wilmington Star of Saturday gave the following:
“R.C. Lawrence of Lumberton for W.B. Cooper mad a powerful appeal. Mr. Cooper, he thundered to the jury, had made every possible effort to save the Commercial bank from crashing, even to the extent of digging down into his own pockets and putting up the savings of a lifetime, when called upon by the comptroller to make good slow assets in the bank.
“Oh, he is a fool,” Mr. Lawrence shouted. ”Who would not be with the agony of these indictments hanging over him for two years. He was once a man of influence, holding the second highest office in the gift of the people. Today, he is impoverished, facing the sunset of his life penniless, broken, his prestige gone and his family impoverished.
“How can he put his mind to work. His mind is not working, as you, gentlemen of the jury, observed from his conduct on the witness stand here yesterday afternoon. He may have made mistakes but the poorest piece of his business that W.B. Cooper ever did was on that day when he purchased the stock of Tom Cooper in the Commercial National bank.”
From the front page of The Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C., Thursday, Feb. 19, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn84026483/1925-02-19/ed-1/seq-1/#words=FEBRUARY+19%2C+1925
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